'File 3/8 Affairs of Sh. Khaz`als sons.' [188r] (375/508)
The record is made up of 1 file (252 folios). It was created in 15 Mar 1942-17 Aug 1948. It was written in English and Arabic. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
5
K,
Conf. 9540,
No. 435
Conf. 9552,
No. 386.
Conf. 9540,
No. 479.
Conf. 9540,
No. 11.
Conf. 9552,
No. 291.
do nothing for him, we must not object to his applying elsewhere; (hints of the
establishment of relations with other Powers, were, as has been seen, part of his
stock bargaining assets).
regards the proposed loan, neither His Majesty’s Government nor
+ + n ^ nc ^ a were at first anxious themselves to make an advance
to the feheikh, who, however, showed his hand by obtaining a loan of £1,000
trom the German firm, Wondkhaus and Company. Details of the subsequent
discussions need not here be given, but eventually it was arranged that His
Majesty s Government should advance a sum of £10,000, the amount actually
^ Anglo-Persian Oil Company, who, by an agreement signed
with the Sheikh on the 16th July, 1909, secured the lease of valuable sites on
Abadan island and elsewhere. It may be mentioned also that two months earlier
assurances had been obtained from the Sheikh regarding prior British rights in
irrigation projects on the Karun and other rivers in his territories.
12. The request of the Sheikh for advice as to the action he should take
ms-a vis of the Royalists and Nationalists was met by the recommendation not
to involve himself m Persian party politics. As regards the Sheikh’s desire for
lurther assurances, the
Political Resident
A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency.
had several conversations with the
Sheikh, to whom he eventually addressed a letter on the 16th May 1909 (the
text of which is reproduced as document No. 4 in the Annex). The new’ assurances
were in the following words :—
I was further permitted to inform you that whatever change might
take place m the form of government in Persia, the British Government
were prepared to give you the same support against any encroachment on
your rights as was promised to you in 1902, and I was authorised to add
a ey were now prepared to extend the application of those assurances
to your heirs and successors.’ ”
-a 3 ' + Sheikh was still not satisfied and in discussions with the Political
Itesident stated that he wished the assurances to be made applicable for a period Conf. 9633,
of 100 years to his male descendants ” rather than to his “heirs and successors ” No m
Tw n ea r 0n f ^ r the r€ 9 uest to extend the assurances to his male descendants was
f l eared th "V hlS Hanzal might seize some favourable opportunitv
Ih (K ? a .fl S l OI ‘ hls elde f son ’ s (Chassib’s) assassination and usurp
future dItiTh P 01 a Stat6d Peri i° d WaS that he feared that at som e
P h British Government might find it necessary to intervene in
WAT? i Per l ia and P erha P s fi 1 nd lt; convenient to take over Mohammerah, when
t^ tW Se n hlS P™ 16 ^ and revenues—in which case he would like an under
taking that he would continue to enjoy his personal revenue and be granted
an asylum in India or elsewhere. Finally, he asked for a form of written
assurances which he could show to his tribesmen to quiet their apprehensions
of the*BritiSfoovernmen?^ 011 ° f ^ their faith “ the frlend1 ^
I 1 ' 6 ? Was oon ® 1 derable delay before fresh assurances were given to the
f° r a , number of reasons, was becoming anxious as to his position.
In the first place he was concerned at the growing influence at Tehran of thp
Sy to 19^ Sheikh Khazaf 61 ’’ 01 '’ ^ A / Sad ’ Wh ° ^ aS h ° Stile 10 himself ’ and Oo " f - 9ra8 '
y m 1910 bneikh Khazal was speaking of intervention in Persian politics - he No - 427 -*
was, however told that his best policy was to continue his allegiance to the Central
Government, to whom he should submit any grievances, and that His Maiestv’s
Legation would support him if he were refused satisfaction. The Sheikh expressed
is readiness to comply with this advice but wished in return for an assurance ,
of protection against the Bakhtiari; this, however. His Majesty’s Government No ki '
considered both unnecessary and undesirable. y s uoveiument no. ^i.
IS. Later in the year matters were complicated by the action of the Vali
of Basra, who, because of alleged actions of the Sheikh’s followers in Turkish
territory and of the Sheikh’s refusal to surrender one of his tribal chiefs (of
Persian nationality), sent a gun-boat which shelled one of the Sheikh’s villaees
nLf to T raG 1 Ar de Sha t tt ^ bArab ' Tb e Sheikh, who expressed his reali- No m ’
ness to raise his whole territory against the Turks, was, however preuared
to be guided by His Majesty’s Government in this matter, and the latter found
themselves m a position of having to implement their assurances against attack
from a foreign Power. While holding a warship in readiness to proceed to
Mohammerah if necessary, they found it possible to safeguard the Sheikh’s
position without resorting to hostilities; it was, however, deemed desirable to
counteract a certain amount of loss of prestige suffered by the Sheikh and also
to make a demonstration in face of the growth of Turkish ambitions in the
About this item
- Content
This file relates to the heirs of Shaikh Khaz‘al [Khaz‘al bin Jabir bin Merdaw Āl Ka‘bī], the late Arab Shaikh of Mohommerah [Khorramshahr], and their requests for British assistance.
The first few items of correspondence concern Shaikh Khaz‘al's eldest son, Shaikh Chassib bin Khaz‘al [Shaikh Chassib bin Khaz‘al Āl Ka‘bī], who is now living in Iraq and who is reported to have requested permission from the British Embassy at Baghdad to enter Iran (most of the correspondence in this file refers to Iran as Persia), for the purpose of personally pressing his claims to property belonging to his father, which had been sequestered by the late Shah [Reza Shah Pahlavi].
The remainder of the file relates to Shaikh Chassib's brother, Shaikh Abdullah bin Khaz‘al [Shaikh ‘Abdullāh bin Khaz‘al Āl Ka‘bī], and his wish to return to live in Persia, apparently peacefully, which is treated with suspicion by British officials. Much of the correspondence discusses whether Shaikh Abdullah, who has taken refuge in Kuwait after an unsuccessful attempt to return to live in Persia, should be given a British pension or an allowance, in order to prevent him from attempting to return to Persia, since it is deemed unlikely that he will receive any compensation from the Persian Government for the loss of his father's property.
Also included in the file are a copy of a document from the Combined Intelligence Centre, Iraq, entitled 'The Sheikhdom of Mohammerah A Short History' and a Foreign Office report entitled 'British Relations with Khazal, Sheikh of Mohammerah'.
The principal correspondents are the following: the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. , Kuwait; the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; the British Consul, Khorramshahr; the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. ; the Secretary of State for India; the Foreign Office; His Majesty's Ambassador, Tehran; His Majesty's Ambassador, Baghdad; the Ruler of Kuwait, Shaikh Ahmed al Jabir As-Subah [Shaikh Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ]; Shaikh Abdullah bin Khaz‘al.
- Extent and format
- 1 file (252 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in chronological order from the front to the rear of the file. Circled serial numbers (red for received correspondence; blue/black for issued correspondence) refer to entries in the notes at the rear of the volume.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 254; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. Additional foliation sequences, one of which is written in pencil and not circled (between ff 3-131 and ff 143-224), and one of which is written in pencil and circled (between ff 1-253), have been superseded and therefore crossed out.
- Written in
- English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script View the complete information for this record
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'File 3/8 Affairs of Sh. Khaz`als sons.' [188r] (375/508), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/5/178, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100030262304.0x0000b0> [accessed 9 November 2024]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/5/178
- Title
- 'File 3/8 Affairs of Sh. Khaz`als sons.'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:44v, 46r:55v, 58r:63v, 65r:66v, 68r:71v, 73r:80v, 83r:118v, 120r:120v, 122r:130v, 132r:143v, 145r:145v, 147r:162v, 164r:165v, 167r:198v, 202r:207v, 211r:216v, 219r:221v, 223r:227v, 230r:239v, 242r:253v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence